Over the past seven years, 93 active substances have become unavailable to European farmers, while only one new active substance has been approved. This widening gap is leaving farmers with fewer options to protect their crops, manage resistance and respond to emerging agronomic challenges.
Against this backdrop, Copa-Cogeca and CropLife Europe brought together policymakers, farmers and agrifood chain representatives to discuss the importance of maintaining an effective and comprehensive crop protection toolbox.
Participants examined the practical consequences of a diminishing toolbox for selected crops, highlighting the increasing difficulty of controlling pests, diseases and weeds. They also underlined the risks this poses to agricultural productivity, resilience and the long-term viability of farms across Europe.
The discussion demonstrated that Europe is at a point at which the loss of existing solutions is no longer being matched by access to new innovations. Pests and diseases do not disappear when a solution is withdrawn, and farmers must have access to a sufficiently broad range of tools to address the different challenges they face across crops, regions and seasons.
Europe maintains high standards of protection while enabling the timely, predictable and science-based assessment of new solutions. This should include biological and conventional crop protection products, as well as other innovative technologies that can support Integrated Pest Management.
Ensuring that regulation keeps pace with scientific progress will be essential to safeguarding harvests, strengthening food security and maintaining the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of European agriculture.